Will my mobile phone work in Myanmar? (Roaming)

[DagonKhan]

MPT have published a website that lists what other operators around the world they have roaming agreements with.

According to Ooredoo's website they have no roaming agreements with anyone at the moment.

Edited September 1, 2014 by DagonKhan

[SeaVisionBurma]

Excellent topic DK, I'll pin this. There has been the odd query on this previously.

I do know that for Thailand AIS (12 Call) prepaid roaming, you can receive calls and sms inside Myanmar when roaming on MPT's networks.

I would hope that Telenor allows roaming, given they have so many partner networks - one obvious example is DTAC in Thailand. I imagine they will all catch up and offer roaming eventually once they sort out inter-billing agreements etc

[DagonKhan]

I would hope that Telenor allows roaming, given they have so many partner networks - one obvious example is DTAC in Thailand. I imagine they will all catch up and offer roaming eventually once they sort out inter-billing agreements etc

I did check Telenor's (Beta) website and there's no information about roaming at present. I agree, I suspect it will all be updated/announced when they launch.

Edited September 1, 2014 by DagonKhan

[SeaVisionBurma]

As for the remainder of this topic, please post if you have first hand experience of your home country mobile network being able to roam inside Myanmar.

Please provide the network country and operator name, and whether you are pre-paid or post-paid. A screenshot of your phone screen would also be great if you are feeling tech savvy.

[The Beast of Bangkok]

I use a BlackBerry with a UK T-Mobile roaming account, and it is as dead as the proverbial doornail in Yangon. I can't use it at all. It works okay everywhere else.

[DagonKhan]

I use a BlackBerry with a UK T-Mobile roaming account, and it is as dead as the proverbial doornail in Yangon. I can't use it at all. It works okay everywhere else.

How recently did you try it TBOB?

[bkkny]

I visit to Myanmar about once every 6 weeks. I could roam with AIS 12 call prepaid/postpaid for over a year now. My carrier is Truemove H postpaid in Thailand and I use as my main number with iPhone 5S. I have been roaming with my phone on MPT network for over 6 months now. I could make and receive calls. Two way SMS is also available. I could receive OTP SMS from my bank so I can use online banking in Myanmar. There was one day SMS roaming outage during my six days visit last month though.

[The Beast of Bangkok]

I use a BlackBerry with a UK T-Mobile roaming account, and it is as dead as the proverbial doornail in Yangon. I can't use it at all. It works okay everywhere else.

How recently did you try it TBOB?

Two weeks ago, DK.

[phuketrichard]

used my post paid ais sim with no problem in Mandalay and Bagan in July

[farangmerou]

No, you need to buy a sim card there are dozens of shops in the center of Yangon along Anawhrata road selling them, when you buy make sure they install it and also start it because that can be a problem and they know how to handle this.

[DagonKhan]

No, you need to buy a sim card there are dozens of shops in the center of Yangon along Anawhrata road selling them, when you buy make sure they install it and also start it because that can be a problem and they know how to handle this.

We're trying to establish what works and what doesn't farangmerou, it's helpful for other TV members who might visit and wish to use their phone without having to buy a local SIM card.

Can you perhaps tell us what SIM card you have that didn't work? i.e. Telecom Company and Country that you're from.

[elzach]

I was in Yangon in March this year. I was roaming on MPT no problem, having a Truemove H prepaid.

See here: http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/news_events/news/entry/1889?ln=en

btw, local SIM cards were $5-$10 when I was there. Now I understand Telenor and Ooredoo started selling them for $2.

edit: as with everything in Myanmar, services are very "localized", ie. what works in Yangon, may not work in the north. Example: a year ago people were asking about bank ATMs. Now they are everywhere in Yangon. But not sure if that's the case elsewhere in Myanmar.

Edited September 2, 2014 by elzach

[SeaVisionBurma]

Nonsense post removed

[onthemoon]

I visit to Myanmar about once every 6 weeks. I could roam with AIS 12 call prepaid/postpaid for over a year now. My carrier is Truemove H postpaid in Thailand and I use as my main number with iPhone 5S. I have been roaming with my phone on MPT network for over 6 months now. I could make and receive calls. Two way SMS is also available. I could receive OTP SMS from my bank so I can use online banking in Myanmar. There was one day SMS roaming outage during my six days visit last month though.

Do you have an AIS 12call prepaid card or Truemove H postpaid, or both? Kindly clarify which one you are talking about when you say you can make and receive calls and SMS.

Edited September 13, 2014 by onthemoon

[bkkny]

I tested AIS prepaid, truemove H post paid and Happy Dtac prepaid with iPhone 5S this time (last week) and all working fine on MPT. Local Ooreedo SIM cards are available easily for $1.5 a piece and 3G Internet speed is between (1 Mbps - 2 Mbps) in most part of the coverage area. Ooreedo has network coverage only in 3 major cities (Yangon, Naypyidaw and Mandalay) for now.

[fireroksy]

No way.

It will not.

[simon43]

Can anyone update me about mobile phone and mobile internet (eg VOIP, WhatsApp) access in Myanmar?

When I last worked in Yangon in 2013, the only way to contact my business in Thailand was via VOIP at the internet cafe (very unreliable connection), or paying $5 for a coffee at the 5-star hotel so that I could use their fast(ish) internet connection in the lounge. Mobile access was zilch.

Now I might be coming back to Myanmar to work again (hurray!).

But I do need to stay in contact with my Phuket hotel.

- Is it possible (using either a local SIM card or THai SIM card) to:

- Send and receive SMS messages to/from Thailand

- Ditto for voice calls

- Ditto for VOIP (eg WhatsApp, Skype etc)

Thanks for an update

[jphasia]

Can anyone update me about mobile phone and mobile internet (eg VOIP, WhatsApp) access in Myanmar?

When I last worked in Yangon in 2013, the only way to contact my business in Thailand was via VOIP at the internet cafe (very unreliable connection), or paying $5 for a coffee at the 5-star hotel so that I could use their fast(ish) internet connection in the lounge. Mobile access was zilch.

Now I might be coming back to Myanmar to work again (hurray!).

But I do need to stay in contact with my Phuket hotel.

- Is it possible (using either a local SIM card or THai SIM card) to:

- Send and receive SMS messages to/from Thailand

- Ditto for voice calls

- Ditto for VOIP (eg WhatsApp, Skype etc)

Thanks for an update

Hello, yes it has improved well since 2013. I am working in Myanmar since the last 3 years and actually also live in Phuket (where i also have business and my family is based). As for the mobile data, the main change is that there are now 3 operators ( MPT, Telenor and Ooredoo) which has open the competition and now simcard and mobile much more reasonable and coverage improving. As for myself, i never made an international phone call to Thailand (but it work). I always use either Line, Whatsapp or skype to communicate with Thailand. Also, both my AIS and True simcard are working here on roaming. I can call or receive calls and sms working too. I can also receive OTP when required for banking transaction. Wifi spots also been developped. More and more hotels, restaurants...provide free wifi now. Of course the speed is not always that good but globally improving.

[phuketrichard]

I use my post paid ais sim fine from the far north to down where i am now ,Dawei.

But strongly reccomend u pick up a mpt sim and use that. Why pay roaming charges?

Many places offer free wifi, hotels, restaurants,but speeds on my mpt sim are faster

[phuketrichard]

I use my post paid ais sim fine from the far north to down where i am now ,Dawei.

But strongly reccomend u pick up a mpt sim and use that. Why pay roaming charges?

Many places offer free wifi, hotels, restaurants,but speeds on my mpt sim are faster

[RaoulDuke]

This is the first place that I have been to where I did not get free T-Mobile data roaming, but I knew this in advance. It is still much better than it was five years ago, when the phones were all running on some archaic 700mhz network (making a sim card swap impossible). Now, one can very easily purchase a SIM card that works with any modern phone at the airport for less than $10 that has plenty of data. The phone can be set up right away,  and I had good coverage from Bagan to Myeik. Unfortunately, there was no coverage in Kawthaung, but you can get a signal from Thailand (Ranong) down there.

Edited October 27, 2016 by RaoulDuke